Rowing machine



April 2, 1929. J. R. ANDERSON 1,707,791

ROWING MACHINE Filed April 18, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 2, 1929. J. R. ANDERSON ROWING MACHINE Filed April 18, 1925 '3 Sheets-Sheet Ira/alder:

April 2, 1929. J. R. ANDERSON ROWING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 18, 1925 20 using the machine and Patented Apr. 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES JOHN B. ANDERSON, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS.

ROWING MACHINE.

Application filed April 18, 1925. Serial No. 24,089.

In machines of this type as well as in other forms of exercisers it has been customary to use heavy springs or weights to provide the resistance or force to be overcome by the person using the machine. Such machines are necessarily cumbersome and expensive and are not adapted for use except in a gymnasium or other special room. It is therefore one of the principal objects of myinvention to provide an exerciser preferably in the form n of a rowing machine, which shall avoid the use of heavy springs or weights and which may be made of light weight and'small size so asto be adapted for use in the home and 5 to be readily portable.

Another object of my invention is to provide an exerciser in which the resistance or force to be overcome is automatically applied and released by the movements of the person may be readily adjusted so as to vary its amount.

More specifically, my invention resides in a rod or similar member mounted for reciprocating movement through a brake, the movement in one direction causing application of the brake-automatically and movement in the other direction causing release of the brake. Means isprovided for readily adjusting the force of the brake to vary the resistance offered thereby.

In'the accompanying drawings in which I have shown a selected embodiment of my -in vention:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my rowing machine in use. n

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the brake and taken on the line 22 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 2 with the top of the'brake casing removed.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4 and l Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, I have shown my invention as embodied in a rowing machine, as I have found it lparticularly useful therein, but it is obvious t at it might ,find utilityin other forms of exercisers. The

0 rowing machine may comprise a frame consisting of a plurality of legs 1 carrying longitudinal tracks 2 upon which is slidably mounted ;;the seat 3 having rollers 4 on the tracks.

: sfshown in Fig. 6, these rollers are provided with flanges 5 engaging the outer surfaces of the tracksand the seat is provided with deis a bracket 10 pending guards leaving the track. These veniently consist of stems t lugs 7 on the seat so as .to be ards may con readed into the readily removable therefrom and bent at their lower, ends to be approximately concentric with the tracks. The tracks may be provided with tubular members 8 of rubber, the portions on which the rollers run, so as .to avoid noise as the seat moves back and forth.

The front end of the frame is formed into 6 to prevent the rollers from or the like, on

a pedestal 9 and depending from the pedestal having pivotally mounted thereon a pair of stirrups 11 which are re cessed at 12 to receive the forward ends of the tracks 2. By this means the stirrups may be folded upwardly out of the way when the machine is to be stored or transported, and when brought back to the position shown in Fig. 3 they are ready for use and will be held in correct position for engagement with the feet, by the tracks 2 entering into the recesses 12.

Revolvably mounted upon the pedestal is a trunnion cradle 13, the pedestal being preferably provided with a verticalbearing 14 and the edge of the cradle being preferably formed as a flange 15 concentric with the cylindrical edge 16 of the pedestal. The cradle is conveniently held in position by the bolt 17 passing through the vertical bearing 14 and by the washer 18. The same bolt 17 may conveniently be employed for holding the bracket 10 in position.

The trunnion cradle comprises a pair of arms 19 to receive the trunnions 20 of the brake 21. This brake includes a casing 22 in which the trunnions are secured, and a pair of brake shoes, the lower shoe 23 being formed preferably integral with the casingand the upper brake shoe 24 being pivoted to the ends of a pair of links 25 (F igs. 2, 4 and 5) the other ends of which are supported on the fulcrum 26. The fulcrum is provided with rollers 27 contacting with cams 28, and with a block 29 through which is threaded a stem 30 extending through a wall of the casing 22 and terminating in-a knurled head 31. Slidably supported between the brake shoes 23 and 24 is a rod 32 provided at its end with a handle 33 conveniently arranged to be grasped by the person occupying the seat 3. The brake shoe 24 is urged downwardly by means of a spring 34 placed between the cross piece 35 on the casing and the lug 36 on the shoe, which lug furnishes a bearing for the pivot 37 connecting the links to the brake shoe 24.- Springs 38 resiliently urge the rollers 27 into engagement with the cams 28, these springs having one e'ndof each secured to the fulcrum 26 and the other ends to the cross piece 35.

In operation the person exercising will oc cupy the seat 3, place his feet in the stirrups 11, grasp the handle 33, as plainly shown in Fig. 1, and he may then simulate the motions of an oarsman. As he bends forward and back the seat 3 will run back and forth on the tracksfl and the rod 32 will slide back and forth through the brake 21. As the rod slides forwardly it is evident that the upper brake shoe 24 will be given a counterclockwise movement of limited extent about the fulcrum 26. This movement will result in a. lifting of the brake shoe, the movement being limited by the spring 34. As the rod is pulled back through the brake, or to the right, as

viewed in F 1g. 2, it will tend to draw the upper shOe with it and tend to cause it to rotate clockwise about the fulcrum 26. This tendency is increased by the spring 34 which insures a proper engagement between t is rod and the shoe. It will thus be evident that the rod will move with comparative freedom towards the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, but that it will be moved with comparative difficulty to the right, thus providing the necessary force or resistance for the exercise. The

force may be varied by rotation of the-stem 30, this rotation causing movement of the fulcrum 26. The cams 28 are so designed that movement of the fulcrum towards the right in Fig. 2, will bring the shoe 2d into tighterengagement with the rod 32 and thereby increase the force needed to operateethe rod. The parts are so arranged that the fulcrum 26 will always be forwardly of the pivot 37, or so that the links will always be inclined downwardly towards the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, so as to insure that the brake shall operate properly.

I find that the above described structure makcs'a most eficient exerciser, which may be constructed of light weight material and at a reasonable price. The entire weight of the machine can be lrept well within twenty-live pounds and yet the amount of exercise which may be obtained therefrom is as great as that enjoyed on machines of much greater weight and complexity. lit will be obvious that the number of parts is small and that they are of such a character that they may be readily produced by well known manufacturing moth i ods.

The l i: lillll 'utfcus they maybe y wpar and without e su mstment s-ro cded stem 3G is great wear andi readily replaced any I I vioeu that is necessary to vary the amount of resistance to be overcome so that the machine may be used by persons of varying strength. The trunnion cradle mounted on a vertical pivot and supporting horizontal trunnions on the brake provides a universal joint by means of which the rod 32 may be tipped forward and backward and whereby a twisting movement to the side may be had. This is very important because few people would exert a straight pull upon a rod and the universal joint just referred to makes a machine of great flexibility.

I am aware that changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and without sacrificing the advantages of the invention and I reserve the right to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An exerciser comprising a brake consisting of two shoes, a rod extending through said shoes and having free movement therethrough, and means connecting said shoes and controlled b said rod and causing said shoes to frictionaily engage said rod upon movement of said rod in one direction.

2. An exerciser comprising a rod, a handle for reciprocating the rod, shoes embracing the rod between its ends to resist movement of the rod in one direction, and means to release the rod in one direction, and means releasing said shoes to permit free movement of the rod in the other direction, said means being controlled by the movement of the rod;

4. An exerciser comprising a brake, said brake comprising a stationary shoe and a movable shoe, a rod disposed between said shoes, a fulcrum, a link said fulcrum and pivotally connected to sai movable shoe, said fulcrum being so disposed that move ment of said rod in one direction will. cause said movable shoe to rotate about said fulcrum toward said stationary shoe, and movement in the other direction will cause said movable shoe to rotate in the opposite direction away from said stationary shoe.-

5. An exerciser comprising a brake, said brake comprising a stationary shoe and a movable shoe, a rod disposed between said shoes, a fulcrum, a link on said fulcrum and pivotally connected to said movable shoe, said fulcrum being sodisposed that movement of said rod in one direction. will cause said movable shoe to rotate about said fulcrum toward said stationary shoe, and movement in the other direction will cause said movable shoe to rotate in the opposite direction away from said stationary shoe, mouse or vary the distance between said said fulcrum to vary the distance between said shoes.

6. An exerciser comprising a brake, said brake comprising a stationary shoe and a movable shoe, a rod slidably mounted between said shoes, a fulcrum, a link mounted on said fulcrum and pivoted to said movable shoe, a cam engaging with said fulcrum, and means for moving said fulcrum along said cam to shoes.-

7. An exerciser comprising a frame, a brake pivotally mounted on said frame for providing universal movement of the brake in respect to said frame, a rod mounted to slide back and forth in said brake, means for setting the brake upon movement of the rod in one direction and a handle on said rod for the operation thereof.

8. A rowing machine comprising a frame, tracks 011 the frame, a seat slidably mounted on said tracks, a pedestal. at one end oft-he frame, a brake pivotally mounted on the pedestal for providing universal movement of the brake in respect to said frame, and a rod mounted in said brake for operating the same.

9. A rowing machine comprising a frame, tracks on said frame, a seat mounted to run on said tracks, a pedestal at one end of said frame, a trunnion cradle mounted on a vertical axis on said pedestal, a brake having horizontal trunnions mounted in the arms of said cradle, a rod cooperating with said brake and slidable in respect thereto and having a handle disposed in position to be grasped by a person occupying said seat, movement of said rod in one direction causing application of said brake and movement in the other direction causing release of said brake.

10. A rowing machine comprising a frame, tracks on said frame, a seat mounted to run on said tracks, a brake mounted on the forward end of said frame, means extending through said brake to operate the same, and stirrups pivotally mounted on one end of said frame and having recesses adapted to engage said tracks to hold the stirrups in operative position. 1 11. A rowing machine comprising a frame, tracks on said frame, a seat mounted to run on said tracks, a brake mounted on the forwar-d end of said frame, a rod extending through said brake andhaving free movement therethrough, and means for operating said brake upon movement of the rod in one direction.

12. A rowing machine comprising a frame, tracks on said frame, a seat mounted to run on said tracks, a brake consisting of two shoes mounted on the forward end of said frame, a rod frictionally engaged by said shoes and means connecting said shoes for causing disengagement of said shoes upon movement of said rod in one direction, and a handle ar-' ranged on said rod for the operation thereof. 13. A rowing machine comprising a frame, tracks on said frame, a seat mounted to run on said tracks, a brake pivotally mounted on the forward end of said frame for universal movement of the brake to said frame, a rod slidably mounted in said brake and a handle connected to said rod and disposed in position to be grasped by a person occupying said seat. I 14. A rowing machine comprising a frame, tracks on said frame, a seat mounted to run on said tracks, a brake mounted on the forward end of said frame and having universal movement in respect thereto, a rod slidably mounted in relation to said brake and having a handle disposed in position to be grasped by a person occupying said seat, movement of said rod in one direction causing ap lication of said brake and movement in the other direction causing release of said brake.

JOHN R. ANDERSON.

1n respect providing 

